Grip for cable railways



2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

(No Model.)

0. SCHOLZ.

GRIP FOR OAB'LE RAILWAYS.

Patented Dec. 11, 1888.

IHHHH l f- Elm i151 N PETERS. Pmwum m nu. Wahinglnn, 0.0.

2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

0. SOHOLZ.

GRIP FOR CABLE RAILWAYS.

Patented Dec. 11, 1888.

wiinesses:

N. PETERS Pnoln-mha n im, Washington; on;

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES SCHOLZ, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA.

GRIP FOR CABLE RAILWAYS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 394,512, dated December 11, 1888.

Application filed October 1, 1887. Serial No. 251,257. (No model.)

the city and county of San Francisco, and State of California, have invented certain new and useful Im n-ovements in Grips for Jable Railways; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of my saidinvent-ion, reference being had to j the accompanying drawings.

My invention relates to certain improvements in and upon the grippii'lg device for cable railways which is described in the Letters Patent No. 353,713, issued to me on the 7 th day of December, 1886; and it consists in an improved mechanism for operating the disengaging-bar that throws the grip-lever pawl out of the notches in the segment; also, in an improved construction of sliding frame and disengaging-bar, and in a device for throwing out the cable from the jaws when the pressure of the movable jaw is taken off, and, finally, in an improved construction of griplever, all as hereinafter fully described.

The following description explains the nature of these said improvements and the manner in which I construct, produce, and apply the same, the accompanying drawings being referred to by figures and letters.

Figure 1 represents a side elevation of a cable-grip constructed in accordance with my improvements, the jaws being closed on the cable. Fig. 2 shows the position of the parts with the jaws open. Figs. 3 and 4 are front and side views of the grip-lever. Fig. 5 is a longitudinal section through the lower part of the grip-frame, showing in detail the cableejecting device. Fig. 5 is a side view of the throw-off in detail. Fig. 6 is a front view of the grip, taken on line x as of Fig. 2, looking toward the right. Fig. 7 is a detail view showing the stationary part of the grip-frame and the slide-bars and curved plate that is operated by them. Fig.8 is a view in perspective of the automatic-lifting device that is operated by a stop in the cableway and acts in turn upon the slide-bars of the curved disengaging-plate.

1 and 1 are the horizontal bars of the gripframe, that rest on the truck of the car or dummy and hold the grip, and 2 is the stationary plate to which the fixed jaw 3 is bolted.

l is the sliding part of the frame that carries the movable jaw, and 5 5 are the side bars, that have the notch ed segmen t-plate s secured to their upper ends and carry the movable part 1 on their lower ends. These parts are similar in construction to my former grip already patented, as before mentioned.

7 is an adjustable bearing-block, in which the pivot or center bolt of the hand-lever is fixed, and 11 is the screw that sets and regulates the position of the block to compensate for wearof parts. This screw takes through the notched segment 8, as seen in Figs. 2 and (3. The plate 2 is bolted into the beams 1, and the bars carrying the movable jaw work through slots in the fixed jaw and between the two beams.

The links 123 13 connect the end of the handlever 17 with the beams, the parts being attached by pivot-bolts 1i and 15. The handlever 17 is pivoted upon the center bolt, 16, which is fixed in the bearing-block 7, and the hand-lever 17 extends on beyond the center 16, and is connected by link 13 to beam 1, while on the opposite side of the grip ashort link, 13, connects link 12-3 on that side to pin 10.

9 is a curved segment-plate attached at the points 10 and 12 by loose bolts to the upright slide-bars o 6, that are set against the outer edges of the bars 5 5 and in line with them, to move freely up and down in guide-slots through the beams 1. I This segment 9 is the disengaging-bar. It is set against the side or face of the notched segment, with its top edge standing just below the line of the notches, and the end of the locking-pawl 21 is made of suitable breadth to extend outside the notched segment and over the top of the disengagingbar, so that by a vertical movement at either end the disengaging-bar will strike and throw out the pawl. Such movement is produced by elevating either one of the slide-bars 6, and as the pawl is lifted out of the notches it is held up by the bar 9 during the movement of the hand-lever from the upright over to the inclined position. Figs. 1 and 2 illustrate the relative positions of the hand-lever and parts of the frame in both cases. It will be noticed that this disengaging device differs from the construction in my former patent, No. 353,713, in being independent of or not attached to the movable'frame, whereas the disengaging-bar in that patent is directly attached to the notched segment-plate.

The plate 9 has a smooth edge for the pawl to ride on, and is of suitable curvature to cause the lever to throw over by its weight and the pressure upon the movable jaw due to the downward strain of the cable. Vertical movement of the disengaging-bar to lift the pi W1 and break the toggle-connection be tween the beam 1 and the end of the handlever is produced by stops or projections fixed in the cable-tube and a lifting device carried on the end of the upper jaw-bar, which sets under the end of the forward or leading slidebar 6, and by engagement with the stops is caused to lift the bar and so act on the disen gaging-bar above. Figs. 1, 2, and 8 show the construction of this lifting device and illustrate its operation.

In the top of the bar that carries the stationary jaw is a cylindrical recess, 28, wit-h a spiral thread or ledge to take a block, 27, of

like form with an edge or thread of considerable degree of pitch. By rotation of this block in the recess it is made to move vertically from and to drop down into the recess or socket, according to the direction of its rotation. This movement acts upon the end of the slide-bar 6 by having the end 31 thereof curved outwardly to rest on or be secured to the top of the block. The block is kept in position by the upright post or guide-pin 30, that is fixed in the center of the socket, and its rotation in the upward direction is produced by radial wings 29, that are fixed to the top of the block and have suitable projections to engage a stop, X, set at some point in the cable-tube where it will be cleared by the grip-"frame, but will strike the projecting wing as the grip travels along. Such contact of the wings with the stop will turn the block and throw up the slide-bar. In the contrary movement, after the wing has cleared the stop X, the spiral block is assisted by the pressure of a spring-lever, 32, one end of which is pivoted at 34 into the beams 1, and the other end is bent and carried down to bear against the side of the wing. Against the upper end of the lever a flat spring, 33, is set in position to throw out the lower end of the lever, as shown in Fig. 1. The parts take'the position shown in this figure before the stop in the cable-tube is reached, while Fig. 2 shows the positions after the disengaging-bar is lifted and the grip-frame is dropped to release the cable. The other spring-lever, 37, (shown at the opposite end of the grip-frame,) is pivoted in the beams 1 in the same manner, and has the plate-spring 33 bearing upon its upper end; but its lower end carries a finger, 35, with double-inclined faces that sets in line with a similar projecting piece, 36, fixed on the end of the slide-bar (3 at that side of the gripframe, and acts upon this bar to raise it during the travel of the grip-car backward or in the contrary direction. The purpose of this lever is to throw off the grip at such times in its travel along the slot when an obstruction in the slot is met with, and thereby to prevent injury to the cable or the grip that would result if the cable were not released and the obstruction were tightly wedged in the slot.

hen the grip is closed, the piece 35 sets directly under the projecting piece 36 on the bar 6, as shown in Fig. 1, and the lever 37, traveling along the slot ahead of the bar 6, will be struck by the obstruction and pressed back. The result of this movement will be to throw up the bar 6 an d lift the pawl 21 out of its notch in the segment and thereby throw off the grip. The same action takes place when the grip is traveling forward or in the opposite direction, as the lever 32, when meeting the obstruction in the grip-slot, will be struck and pressed back and caused to turn the spiral block 27, by which the bar 6 at that side of the grip will be lifted.

The construction of the grip-lever is shown in Figs. 1, 3, and 4. It is made in two parts, that are jointed together by a pivot-bolt, 19, and the lower part, 17, is pivoted at 16 to the bearing-block 7 to play alongside of the segment 8, while the upper part, 18, has a handle on the end tobe grasped to work the lever. The pawl 21 is pivoted to the lower section, while the end of the upper section, 18, is furnished with a notch, 20, that fits over the upper part of the pawl, of which the head has a flat side to set against the straight side of the notch and a curved side to correspond with the other side of the notch. A strong platespring, 22, is fixed against the face of the upper section, 18, with its free end bearing against the point of the pawl. This spring serves to hold-the pawl firmly down against the notched segment and to keep the two sections of the lever in line. Now, as thus constructed and applied, it will be seen that when the handle end of the lever is pressed over in the direction of the arrow, Fig 1 or 4, it will raise the point of the pawl out of the notch, and when released the spring 22 will bring the lever back into line again and press the pawl down. This dispenses with the supplemental lever and connectingrod that have heretofore been used on such hand-levers to work the pawl, and therefore simplifies the construction and leaves the lever at the handle end free of such attachments.

The conical rollers Zet, Figs. 2 and 5, have spiral ribs formed on their faces, that run from the apex or center out to the greatest circumference, and they are fixed on the lower ends of two short slide-bars, 25, that are set in slots to move freely up and down through the upper jawcarrying plate, 3, or at each side of the jaw. The rollers revolve loosely on studs fixed in the slide-bars, and the lower ends of the barsrest in sockets in the movable part 4, that has the other jaw secured in it. The base 4, is broad enough to inclose both the sheaves 22 and the spiral rollers 24;

when in their lowest position. The bars 25 have stop-pins 26 26, that act to hold them when the lower jaw is dropped and limit their movements.

Fig. 5 shows the position of the slide-bars when the jaws are closed, and Fig. 2 the other position when the jaws are opened. In the former case the rollers stand below the line of the cable, but immediately under it, so that when the lower jaw drops the rollers, being suspended from the upper jaw by the bars 25, are in position to take the cable, and by virtue of their rotation at such time and the spiral ribs on their faces the cable in running over them is thrown laterally out from the jaws. This forms a simple and rapidlyacting device to throw out the cable.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. I11 a grip for cable railways, the combination, with the grip-lever and its holding segment-plate, of the curved disengaging-bar 9, the slide-bars (3 ti, and mechanism for throwing up said disengaging-bar through the agency of fixed stops in the cable-tube to release the grip-lever, consisting of the spiral block 27 in a recess of corresponding form in the grip-frame beneath the end of the bar 6, the radial wings 29 thereon, the spring-lever and the extension 31, connecting the end of the bar with the spiral block, substantially as described.

2. In a grip for cable railways, the combination of the curved disei'lgaging-bar 9 and slide-bars 6 6, and the spring-lever 37, having a projecting finger, 35, adapted to take under and engage a corresponding piece, 36, on the end of the bar 6, with the grip-lever and the notched segment, substantially as described.

In a grip for cable railways, the combination, with the stationary frame 1 2 3, dropframe I 5 8, and the hand-lever pivotally at tached to the drop-frame and connected to the stationary frame by links 13 13, of the sliding frame 9 U o, and mechanism, substantially as described,whereby said slidin frame is thrown upward through the agency of a fixed stop in the cable-tube and caused to throw off the hand-lever, as set forth.

4. In a grip for cable railways, a conical casting-otf roller, 24, mounted on a slide-bar, 25, and having a spirally-ribbed surface, in combination with the stationary part of the grip-frame, as described, for operation as set forth.

5. The combination of a notched segment and a lever having two jointed sections, as 17 18, with a pawl pivoted to the lower section, a notch in the end of the upper section taking over the head of the pawl, and a spring, 22, constructed and applied for operation substantially as set forth.

(3. A hand-lever for cable-grips, having a joint in its length and formed of two pivoted sections,l7 18, with the pawl 21, pivoted to the lower section, and the end of the upper section adapted to take over the head of the pawl, and a spring fixed to the upper section and bearing upon the pawl, substantially as described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand and seal.

(HARLES SCHOLZ. [L. s]

'itnesses:

EDWARD E. OsBoRN, tHAs. E. KELLY. 

